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MODEST MAMA

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Monday, November 29, 2010

Product Review: Smart Kids Productions: My Animal Family

Smart Kidz Productions is an organization commited to the betterment of children, families, and communities through innovative technology. Smart Kidz Productions owns and operates five commerical websites including My Animal Family (MAF). MAF was created in response to children's natural interest in the animal world. The product combines literature, DVD movies, and interactive on-line games to educate young learners about animals and their habitats. As a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I received a free copy of the publication Nanuq. I received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest review on this blog. I received no other compensation.

Nanuq is the story of a baby polar bear. Nanuq lives with his mother and brother in the artic. The book using beautiful watercolor paintings to tell about the adventures of Nanuq and his family while they play, hunt, and survive in extreme conditions. It is told from the perspective of Nanuq, and really captures the heart of young listeners with the playful and informative language. The enclosed DVD uses real footage of a baby polar bear. I was surprised and pleased by this as I was expecting an animated portrayal. Like the book, Nanuq narrates the DVD, and it is really fun to see the two little polar bears romping around their wilderness home. Even my older two children were captivated by the DVD movie and the beautiful setting in which Nanuq lives.

In addition to the book and DVD, the children have the opportunity to further explore world of their animal in an on-line interactive program. The website is carefully and educationally structured, and parents can be assured that the play the child engages in contains safe content and appropriate material. The games and activities on the website are designed for a child aged 3 to 8 years of age, but I found that even Margaret (age 2) could follow along and participate in the activities with the help of an older sibling.

MAF offers other book/DVD combos about Leo the baby lion, Korow the baby chimpanzee, Ella the baby elephant, and Tahi the baby dolphin. All books contain the beautiful watercolor paintings described above, and all DVDs contain actual footage and fun narration. You can get these book/DVD combos from the Smart Kidz Bookstore for only $10.39 each! After you receive your book combo, you will find the secret code inside that allows your child to access the on-line animal world.

I was so pleased to find such an affordable and high quality product. Not only are the products from MAF educational and engaging, they are also affordable. Perfect timing to learn about such a valuable product during the Christmas giving season. I am definitely going to be recommending this series to other families.

About our family

We are a cloth diapering, God loving, homeschooling family of seven trying to figure out what the heck is going on.
Dr. Smarty Pants and Seamstress Extraordinary were married in 2001 and have five mini-Smarty Pants Extraordinaries running amuck in the foothills of Western Pennsylvania.